What to do following a road accident?

A survey of over 1,500 drivers by Norwich Union also showed that 40% had suffered symptoms of "post-traumatic stress" following a crash. Of these, 15% had recurring memories and 17% felt distressed when recounting what had happened to them.

With one in three (32%) drivers unsure of what to do following a crash, Norwich Union urged motorists to "be prepared" - not only to avoid taking the blame unnecessarily, but to help cope with the stress of such situations.

Driving behaviour expert Dr Cris Burgess, who helped with the research, said: "It's normal to react differently to how you would usually in a high stress situation like a car crash, because when you're in shock your sense of logic and reason can be impaired.

"That's why it's so important to be as prepared as possible for a crash - the more you know, the better you'll be able to deal with the situation, whatever your feelings at the time."

What to do

Norwich Union offered the following advice to help motorists to deal with crash situations:

• Firstly, remove yourself and passengers to a position of safety, especially if you're on a high speed road. The only exception to this is if damage appears to be minor, but you feel threatened by the other driver, in which case you should stay locked in your vehicle until you feel it is safe to leave.

• Take a deep breath, sit down and try to deal with the situation as calmly as possible and don't admit liability. If you can, get yourself a hot, sweet drink to help calm your nerves and check if you, or anyone else, is injured - in which case you should call emergency services. Do not attempt to drive on until you feel calm enough to do so.

• Call a friend or family member to tell them what has happened. You may be suffering from shock, in which case you could ask them to join you at the scene of the accident and/or drive you home.

• If you are the driver, the damage was minor and there was no injury to anyone, no offences committed, no animal involved and no roadside signage or devices damaged, simply exchange names and addresses with the other driver.

• Contact your car insurance company as soon as possible for the claim to be processed - if you're comprehensively insured, they will arrange for recovery of the vehicle and can offer advice on dealing with the situation.

• If you don't contact your insurer, you could risk the other driver reporting it to their insurer, which could result in you losing your no-claims discount, so it really is best to keep your insurer informed.

Further advice

In more serious accidents, you should:

• Call an ambulance if someone has been injured.

• Get the registration number of the other vehicle as soon as possible in case the other driver leaves the scene.

• Call the police to attend immediately or report the matter in person to any police station as soon as possible and within 24 hours of the accident/incident.

• Exchange names and addresses with the other parties involved.

• Produce your car insurance certificate to the police within seven days.

• If possible, photograph the accident scene for insurance/police purposes.

Nigel Bartram at Norwich Union added: "Our advice to drivers involved in an accident is to remain calm. If you're unsure about what to do or feel confused by the situation, take time out and ask for help.

"Your insurer will have a dedicated team of experts on hand to offer advice and assistance to customers who have been involved in accidents, so if you are not clear about what you should do, give them a call."